Karst and shallow carbonate bedrock in Wisconsin Factsheet 02 | 2009

Alternative Title

Factsheet 02 | 2009

Author

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey

Files

Publication Date

January 2009

Abstract

Carbonate bedrock, rock formations composed primarily of limestone or dolomite, underlie the southern third of Wisconsin in a V-shaped belt (see map on other side). These rocks are commonly fractured, with the fractures provid- ing primary pathways for ground- water movement. Carbonate rocks are soluble, and percolating surface water can enlarge fractures to form conduits, caves, and sinkholes that are the hallmarks of a karstsystem and its related karst landscape. In Wisconsin, karst landscapes are direct evidence of underlying shal- low, fractured carbonate bedrock. But the lack of classic karst features in a landscape does not mean that shallow fractured carbonate bedrock is absent, or that the groundwater is potentially any less vulnerable to contamination.

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Identifier

K26-02163

Recommended Citation

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, "Karst and shallow carbonate bedrock in Wisconsin Factsheet 02 | 2009" (2009). KIP Articles. 2979.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2979